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HItler becomes the German leader
Adolf Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany and later assumes dictatorial powers. German rearmament takes off. -
World War II begins
Germany invades Poland, inciting Poland’s allies Britain and France to declare war on Germany. -
Poland is invaded by the German army
September 1, 1939 -
The Soviet Union invades Poland
Working in concert with Hitler, Stalin orders the invasion of Poland, securing a share of Polish territory. -
Warsaw gets captured
Warsaw surrenders to German troops. Poland holds out for another 9 days before capitulating. -
The UK wins the war's first sea battle
British cruisers defeat a German pocket battleship at the Battle of the River Plate, the first major naval engagement of World War II. -
Paris falls to Nazis
Paris falls to German forces. France capitulates 11 days later. -
Germany invades the USSR (Operation barbarossa)
22 June 1941 -
The United States enter the war
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, starting war with the US, Hitler declares war on America 4 days later. -
The Normandy landings
June 6, 1944 -
Battle of Berlin
Soviet forces, with support from American and British aircraft, launch an offensive against the German capital of Berlin in one of World War II's final major battles. Hilter commits suicide April 30 in the Führerbunker and Germany surrenders a few days later, essentially ending the war. -
Death of Benito Mussolini
In the final days of World War II, he was summarily executed by an Italian partisan in a small village in northern Italy. -
Battle of Okinawa
World War II's final major battle and one of the war's bloodiest, U.S. Army and Marine forces invade Okinawa. Overpowered by the Americans, many surviving Japanese kill themselves rather than surrender.